Carpet Cleaning and Restoration Blog

Always Preferred provides its customers with this guide to help the people of Missoula to understand some of the services that should be offered by fire damage restoration services.

Fire damage is considered one of the worst experiences that you may suffer from for a long time due to the complications of the fire damage. Things like the odor, the smoke and any other complication of fire damages are not easy to deal with and may affect the integrity of the whole building.

For example, smoke odor will invade every single area of the house and will stick to your personal belongings too. The soot of the smoke may lead to severe damages to the walls of the building which were not burned by the fire. The experience of fire damage is really devastating and you will need professional fire damage restoration services to restore your place and help you get through this tough situation.

Be prepared to this tough situation by having the number of fire damage restoration agency that can deal with the situation professionally.

1. Before Deodorization:Regarding the odor of the smoke, here is what professional fire damage restoration services have to accomplish before deodorization.

• The cleaning process has three phases which are structural cleaning, contents cleaning and deodorization.• Structural cleaning means the cleaning of the walls and the woodwork of the whole building or house. It is the first step to get your house as clean as it was before the fire damage. It depends on how bad the fire damage is so the price of this step varies according to the type of tools that will be used and the effort that will be exerted by the cleaning agents.• Contents Cleaning means cleaning of things like the furniture and upholstery. Professional fire damage restoration services agents know what to do regarding the fire damage of such things so your items will be restored somehow.

2. Deodorization: After the two previous steps, deodorization comes. Deodorization means the removal of the odor of the smoke. There are two ways to remove the odor after fire damage.

• The first way is to remove the odor without eliminating its sources. It is not effective but cheaper.• The second way is to remove the sources of the odor. It is more expensive but it will terminate the odor completely.

3. Additional Services: The following services are offered by professional fire damage restoration services.

• Board-ups:This aims to protect your building from being entered by strangers and to protect it from bad weather changes too.

• Inventory:This aims to make categorize your items into three categories which are salvageable, non-salvageable, and questionable in order to help you save what may be saved and getting rid of what can’t be saved anymore.

• Move-outs:If your furniture should be moved out in order to keep its integrity, the restoration services offer you to move out your furniture and any other items to a safe place to keep its integrity.

• Artwork:If you have some valuable artwork that is damaged by the fire, the restoration services will offer you a conservator who will be able to restore your artwork.

Water damage restoration experts say that the best step to start working on water damage at a residence is to make the owners of the place act fast and deal with the damage until water damage restoration agents come and deal with the damages professionally. Water damages can lead to serious complications; that is why water damage restoration experts advise people to follow the following tips.

1. After a Flood:Follow the following steps after a flood.• If the cause of the flood is a burst pipe or a failure of water heater, turn off the main water line for your residence. Call water damage restoration services as soon as possible. • Shut down the power by cutting off the electricity and gas from their main sources. It is essential whether the leak is small or large to do this step as all it takes is one drop to cause a disaster. It is better to have an electrician to handle shutting off in case you have standing water.• You need to assess the damage in order to know how much money you will pay for the water damage restoration service. Take some pictures for the insurance company.• Save your most valuable possessions and remove any valuable items. Don’t waste time cleaning anything; just rescue everything first.

2. Get Rid of Standing Water:When the water sits for a long time, the damages will be disastrous. Here are some tips that you should follow in order to get rid of any standing water.• When everything is safe, start pumping out any standing water.• When you deal with a natural flood, wait until the water of the flood have receded below your place. • You need to wear protective gear while working in your flooded house. Wear rubber boots, gloves, and a mask or respirator.• You need to keep your kids and pets away from the standing water. Any standing water is contaminated and may be harmful to your kids and pets.• The place of the pump should be at the lowest spot of the area affected by the flooded water.• The usage of a wet-dry vacuum is the best solution for small amount of flooding.

3. Mold and Mildew:Mold need water damage restoration services experts to deal with it. You need to assess mold for your insurance company and to help the water damage restoration agents. Follow the following steps.• Mold can grow anywhere. It can be visible and it can grow in air ducts, between walls, rafters, and crawl spaces.• If mold is not visible, find any noticeable must earth smell. If there is any, then there is invisible mold undetected.• Mildew and mold develop within 48 hours after exposure to moisture.• Turn off the power as mold will make any wires or cables wet which is extremely dangerous.• Dry the area out before mold spreads to other areas and becomes hard to remove by water damage restoration agents. When mold stays for long time, it will invade more areas and become uncontrollable.• Don’t use fans to dry out the place as they may spread the spores of the mold to new places.

Water damage restoration services offer their customers informative guides to help them deal with any kind of water damage in their houses. The best water damage restoration services will provide you with information in situations like home leaks, mold control, how to deal with water damage until water damage restoration experts arrive and other situations.

These tips will be provided to you by any water damage restoration agent regarding how to deal with leaks in order to save your residence and reduce the costs of repairing your place. Let’s see what experts say.

1. Hot Water Tanks:You need to check the pressure relief valve of the tank of hot water regularly because sometimes they are plumbed into a drain. They may be leaking while you have no idea. You will know that they are leaking when you are not able to remove the drain pipe in order to check for a leak. You will listen for a hissing sound when the valves are leaking.

2. Toilets:These steps will show you how to check your toilet for a leak.

• Remove the top off the tank and listen as close as you can. If you heard any hissing, try to locate its source.• After locating the source of the leak, assess it and determine whether you can fix it or not. If you are not able to fix it, call water damage restoration services and have an expert to deal with the problem professionally.• If you didn’t notice anything, put some food coloring with a couple of drops in the tank and wait about 5 minutes. If there is coloring in the bowl, then there is a leak in the flapper at the tank’s bottom. This leak is allowing water to seep through. Decide whether you can fix it by yourself or you need a water damage restoration expert.• Repeat if you have more toilets.

3. Meter Line:Here is how to check your line that is running from the meter to your place if there is no leak in toilets.

• If you have a shut-off valve, turn it off temporarily until you complete your check.• Check the meter. Remove the lid and watch the dial on meter’s top.• If there is any dirt or grass covering the top of the meter, dig around until you can see the meter head clearly. The valve is turned off so if there is any leak, it is between the house and the meter unless you have a leaking valve which is very common too.• To locate the area of the leak, walk the distance between the meter and the valve until you find a sign of leak.• The signs of leak are such as soft muddy area or grass greener than the rest or growing faster.

4. General tips:• Check your garden by looking at hoses, drip irrigation systems and taps. • If you have a swimming pool, call a water damage restoration services to check it for leaks.• Check your shower for leaks; it is a common area for leaks.

We have been in the restoration industry for a while and we have enough experience in how to start a good fire damage restoration business. This is our guide for you and we hope it will be beneficial to you.

One of the most important businesses nowadays is fire damage restoration services. It is usually combines with water damage under the name disaster restoration services but some companies specialize in fire damages only.

This business is not as easy as some people think; it is challenging but rewarding. People working in this business care about two main things; the success of their business and how to make the life of their customers easier and help them get over the disaster. Let’s see the most important points that you need to know in order to start your business properly.

1. The basic research:There are two ways to do your basic research.• You can enter the business and try. This will need a lot of determination and a lot of luck too.• You can search well for everything. You will spend some time searching for everything to build up a good strategy then start your business. When you plan for everything, you will fall in fewer mistakes than just jumping in the business. All the questions that you have like whether starting your business from the ground up or buying a franchise will be answered. The big decisions will be small after the research.

2. The Customers and the Competition:

• The Customers:You need to determine your customers to be able to focus your research and target them well. In the beginning, you may accept all kinds of customers but after a while, you will have to choose between your customers. You will have a way to choose the customers that will add to your business.

• The Competition:This is one of the toughest markets so the competition is so high. All the companies want to make their businesses successful and their customers happy by getting them over the rough situations. Discover the strategies of your competitors and try to make better strategies in order to gain more customers.

3. The Certifications and the Equipment:• There are many certifications that you should have when you are in this business. It is not only the essential course but also there are the training courses. The more certified agents you have, the better will be your business and more customers will trust you.

• The Equipment:In the future, you will buy all the equipment used in the business but when you start up your business, you need to have the basic equipment. Moisture meters, air movers, dehumidifiers and cleaning products are what I am talking about. When the company grows up, invest in better equipment.

4. Marketing your business:Hire a digital marketing agency that works with fire damage restoration services. You may think that the marketing process is easy but it is not and you need experts. Even if you are a talented marketing agent, you can save the time you will spend on the marketing and make your business better.

Always Preferred Restoration here in Missoula offers this guide to its customers to guide them through a fire damage disaster. They are among the worst nightmares that people may suffer from. I know that it is hard but let’s imagine that your place is on fire. There are many priorities here such as the safety of the people. We wish that the disaster does not happen at all but you should accept the fact that fire damages happen and we should always be prepared. We provide this guide to help you to find a way out during the mess caused by the these damages so let’s see what should be done.

1. The Suitable Time to Enter Your Home Again: The professionals that you will hire to restore your place will give you the proper timing to return to your place again with your family. They will keep you updated with essential information you may need such as the following.• The severity of the fire damage.• They will determine the safety zone around your place.• They will tell you an initial price for the repairs that may reduce of increase according to the repairs that will be done.They will not let you in until the house is completely secured.

2. Important Phone Calls: The following phone calls should be done after the fire damage.• Call your family members and tell them about the accident. It is a difficult situation and you and your family need support to get through it. • Call your insurance company immediately and ask them to send an expert to document the damages and make a report about it. Once you make sure that your family is safe, make this phone call even before asking for help from a professional fire damage restoration service such as Always Preferred Restoration. The professionals that you will hire will ask you for your insurance details and make sure you contact them. They will also document the ruined parts of your property and work along with your insurance company.

3. The Fire Damage Report: The report that will be written about the incident should include the following information.• The structure of the house.• The areas involved in the damage.• When the fire took place.• How the progress of the incident was. Keep the number of the report to be able to ask the insurance company for money.

Your workplace is not immune against biological hazards. There are many factors that control the appearance and disappearance of biological hazards but once they appear, you need to be well-prepared to face them. The definition of a biological hazard is the organism that is considered a threat to human health. When something is considered harmful to the lives of living creatures can be considered a biological threat.

The most common workplaces that have biological hazards are the ones with people working around each other, conditions that are considered unsanitary, labs and in the open environmental conditions. This guide will tell you some essential information about biological hazards.

• How to know that you are facing a biological hazard problem?Literally anything coming from the biosphere such as humans, animals, and plants may be a threat that can be considered a biological hazard. The following are some examples of biological hazards.

• Mold• Fungi• Blood• Body Fluids• Sewage• Airborne pathogens like the common cold• Stinging insects• Harmful plants• Animal Droppings.After identifying the biological hazard, you need to act as fast as you can to eliminate it. Hire a professional janitorial services company that has experience in dealing with biological hazards. Please note that if the company does not have enough experience in dealing with biological hazards, they may not eradicate the whole danger of the biological hazard.

• Ask the following questions:These questions need to be asks while assessing your workplace.

• Is there any of my employees sick?• If there are sick employees, are there any of my other employees working around them?• Is my workplace free of animals and insects? Or my employees are working around them?• Is my workplace free of mold and fungi?• Are my employees working around biological materials such as sewage?• If my employees have to work around biological hazards, do they have the right protective equipment and follow the right precautions?• Are there any sharp tools that need to be regularly cleaned?

• What to do once you identify a biological hazard?Now after identifying the biological hazards you may have in the workplace, It is important to act as fast as you can. Remove as many as possible of the biological hazards to reduce the risk. Finding the best cleaning services company will be challenging here. Ask for recommendations from people who have similar problems and ask if the company has experience in dealing with situation like the one you have to make sure they will be able to eliminate the biological hazard you have perfectly.

The proper understanding of water damage comes when we understand the basics like the definition, categories and classes of water damage. Water damage restoration services are one of the essential industries in the disaster management business. Water damage can result in damages that cost millions of dollars so it is important for anyone who is about to start a water damage restoration services business to understand well the following points in order to be able to manage the business well.

• Define water damage: It is the damages that result from water that may reach millions of dollars. The damages should not necessarily result from water but they may be the results of wood rotting, steel rusting and many other damages forms.

1. Category no.1:The first category includes the water sources that are not threats to humans which are known as clean water sources. Examples are the broken water supply lines, when a tub or sink overflows, and the appliance malfunctions including the lines of water supply.

2. Category no.2:The second category includes the water sources that have a degree of chemical, physical or biological contaminants. The water in this category is known as the grey water. When living creatures consume or got exposed to it, it makes them sick as it has harmful organisms that consume the nutrients in this grey water.

3. Category no.3:The third category includes unsanitary agents such as harmful bacteria and fungi. These harmful agents cause severe discomfort or sickness to the living creatures exposed to them. The water in this category is known as black water.

• Classes:The evaporation rate determines the water damage class. The evaporation rate is based on the affected materials, wetness and the place of the water damage. Determination of the water class is the first step of the whole restoration process. Here are the water damage classes.

1. Class no. 1: It has a slow evaporation rate and the water affects only a part of the room. The materials affected have little moisture absorbed.

2. Class no. 2:It has a fast evaporation rate and the water affects all the room with its carpets and furniture. The water reaches the wall of the room but it does not exceed 24 inches.

3. Class no. 3:It has a fast evaporation rate and the water affects the whole place.

4. Class no. 4:This class is made specifically for drying solution as drying requires a low level of humidity to be accomplished.

We define clean; this is the slogan of Always Preferred Restoration. If you are looking for a company to handle your cleaning, you should consider Always Preferred Restoration among the companies you will be inspecting. The company, which was established in 1999, has a lot of customers who trust it with their cleaning and janitorial services.

We all know how challenging it is to maintain a property with all the foot traffic, odors, spills and stains that make the general look of your place degraded. Our job in Always Preferred Restoration is to make sure your place will give the right impression for your guests, employees and business partners.

We know exactly how to maintain your place with our experience, knowledge, skills, resources and equipment. We offer water and fire damage restoration services, carpet cleaning services and janitorial services to Missoula, MT and its surroundings. We work for both residential and commercial properties and we have experience in dealing with both.

So if you need to restore your property after a water or fire damage caused by any kind of incidents, you want to remove stains from your carpet or you need to maintain your office clean, just give us a call and schedule an appointment with us and we will do our best to maintain your place.

The business owner of Always Preferred Restoration is Cliff B. Since 1999, Cliff tries his best to serve the area of Missoula and its surroundings. Always Preferred Restoration has customer for over 15 years who trust its services so you now have an idea on how great this business is.

Here are some of the reviews of trusted customers of Always Preferred Restoration.

• Cliff has been cleaning my carpets for at least five years, and I have been thrilled with every job he has done. He comes from Missoula, a 110 mile round trip, and I call him back each year because of the job he does. He is always professional and extremely thorough. I know my carpets will be wonderfully clean when he is done.

• Cliff has now cleaned the carpet in our office and our home. Both times, I’ve been incredibly impressed. He’s honest, professional, and does quality work. I’ve worked with other companies before, and hands down, Always Preferred does a far superior job.

• We had rust stains in our carpet and tried everything to get it out before calling in Cliff. He made it looking like it was a brand new carpet. Thank you so much.

On the 28th of November 2017, a deadly fire engulfed Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Thousands of acres were burned, including many in the iconic Great Smoky Mountains National Park. USA Today reported that approximately 2,460 structures (both homes and businesses) were either razed to the ground or suffered varying degrees of damage.

Many professional agencies were involved in the relief and rehabilitation efforts in Gatlinburg, helping with the cleaning of upholstery and carpets in many hotels around the area. Of course, we wouldn’t wish such devastation on our worst enemies. However, it is always better to be prepared for any eventuality and it can be handy to know how to restore a building after any fire or similar incident.

Cleaning Commercial Carpets after a FireMany entities do not know how to go about the cleaning process after a fire. Here are some major considerations that would give you an idea of how to go about your job. Answers to these questions should point you in the right direction.

1) How hard is the whole process of cleaning or repairing carpets and upholstery after damage from fire?It all depends on the nature and magnitude of damage. For carpets or upholstery that has only suffered smoke damage, the cleaning procedure is quite simple. For damage that has come about from water, smoke, and debris, the process is a little more complicated. With regard to damage from heat and fire, there really isn’t much that can be done.

2) How to go about repairing a carpet that has suffered damage from fire and smoke? Professionals clean, sanitize, and neutralize the damage suffered due to smoke and debris left behind by a fire.

First of all, the carpet and upholstery are sanitized with SaniClean. This procedure neutralizes the organics (bacteria and fungi) while taking out all debris and dirt stuck in the carpet fibre. After adequate dwell time, the cleaning solution will seep into the porous parts of the carpet such as the backing system, cushion, and other areas that are difficult to get to. As an extra consideration for our fragile environment, the chemicals that are used in preparing SaniClean are certified by the Green Seal.

The final thing to do is to get rid of the smoke odour by using professional Odor X – Fire & Flood which is chemically manufactured to neutralize all smoke and other odours in the carpets and upholstery.

3) What sort of damage leaves the carpet and upholstery useless and beyond repair? Carpets and upholstery that have suffered physical damage from water, heat, or some chemical used to deal with the fire may not be repairable.

With regard to carpets, excess water will weaken the adhesives used in the carpet layers to hold it together. This extra water will also saturate the carpet padding which will render it pretty much useless.High-intensity heat can cause irreversible damage to nylon fibres. Same goes for the padding and fibre in the upholstery. Many upholstered items have parts made of wood and metal which may suffer irreversible deterioration such as cosmetic damage, bowing, and other structural devastation.

4) How soon must the carpet be cleaned after damage from smoke or fire or water?The first thing to do after a fire is to get the carpet dried out. The longer the carpet holds water within it, the more severe will be the deterioration to it and greater will be the danger of permanent damage. Once it has been fully dried out, the cleaning process should begin. Most probably, a restoration contractor will ensure proper drying out of the space.

5) What can be done in the immediate aftermath of a fire to minimize the damage from smoke or fire? The best course of action would be to call a professional cleaning service right away. Most insurance companies also recommend some good restoration company if you do not have any on your radar.

With regard to the fire that engulfed the Great Smoky Mountains, professional care performed cleanup operations in three hotels that suffered smoke damage. We worked as a subcontractor with Belfor Restoration which is a major restoration contractor. They had been tasked with repairing the internal and external damage to each hotel.

None of these hotels suffered any permanent deterioration from the fire internally. However, each of them did suffer lots of destruction from the smoke. Thankfully, we were able to save all the carpeting as well as upholstered chairs.

Parting Note on the Fire in Gatlinburg Whatever the magnitude and intensity of a fire may be, it is never a pleasant situation. We were shocked and overwhelmed after seeing the extent of the damage in Gatlinburg and the amount of work needed to get the community up on its feet again.

Our work enabled the three hotels to reopen for business relatively quickly and this is something we are incredibly proud to have contributed to. But what was really inspiring was the way in which people from across the length and breadth of the country came to the aid of victims in Gatlinburg.

Smoke can wreak havoc in any building, be it your home or office or factory. Particularly with regard to your home; kitchen flare-ups, electrical fires, and closed flue fireplaces can cause smoke to spread throughout the house. This smoke will then end up charring the walls, affecting just about anything in its path and leaving behind a horrible smell. The longer this smoke and its smell are allowed to linger, the deeper they will seep into your walls, furniture, and carpeting. So, take action straight away. However, make sure you have the right protective gear before delving into the work. Protective goggles, facemask, gloves, and respirator must be worn to prevent smoke particles from getting onto your skin and into your lungs.

Vacuum and Ventilate Thoroughly When the fire has been put out, immediately ensure proper ventilation of the house to minimize potential damage from smoke.

Open each and every door and window.

Turn off all HVAC systems to prevent the smoke from spreading further.

Get some industrial fans (they rent for $25 a day) and turn them on facing the doors and windows. This will help suck out the smoky air.

Use a strong vacuum cleaner to remove all soot and ash. If you do not have one available, you can find a good one on rent for $30 a day. Hold the sucker just above the soot and let it suck it all in. Do not push down on the soot, as this might leave stains.

Deep Cleaning Get rid of all heavily damaged items because there is nothing you can do about them. Then start the cleaning process covering every inch of the house.

Thoroughly wipe all hard surfaces with a cleaning cloth or sponge. These include kitchen countertops, furniture, and appliances.

Wash the walls and ceilings. Wipe away all soot with a dry sponge and rub difficult stains with a vinegar spray. Use paint thinner if you need a stronger cleaning solution.

Give a thorough wash to all household items including the lightbulbs. Take out bulbs and give them a good wash before reinstalling them.

All clothing and drapes should be put through a comprehensive washing or dry cleaning round.

Deodorize the carpets as well as window covers with odour reactants like Odor X 9-D-9 (costing $68 per gallon) or No Smoke Odor Reactant (costing $59 per 32 Ounces).

Discard all food items that were not stored in airtight containers.

Replace each and every HVAC filter.

Bring In the ProfessionalsIf your home has suffered extensive damage from smoke or fire, then the best course of action might be to call a professional cleaning service that will help you get rid of all smoke and smell.

Fire and Smoke Remediation CompanyCertified by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration, these companies make use of ozone treatment and thermal fogging to remove all smells from difficult-to-reach areas. Ozone treatment makes use of an ozone generator to transfer an electrical current into the oxygen which deals with the smoky odour (costs $125 per day for 2,500 square feet). On the other hand, thermal fogging works on the molecular level and produces fine particles to reach the pores of affected materials (costs $125 per day for 2,500 square feet).

If you are reading this, then probably you have suffered from a fire damage and you are looking for the best fire damage restoration services in Missoula, MT to restore your place again.It is challenging to find the best fire damage restoration services in Missoula, MT especially when you find out that every company claims that they have the best technology, the best practices, the best equipment and the best staff.

Every customer has specific needs so you should choose the company based on these needs and what the company will offer to meet them regardless of the capabilities of the company.

1. SERVPRO of Missoula:One of the best fire damage restoration services companies in Missoula, MT is SERVPRO of Missoula.They serve the Missoula area and its surroundings and they claim to be the fastest fire damage restoration services in Missoula, MT.They offer 24-hour emergency services with highly trained restoration technicians.They also can help you with the insurance paperwork and process to avoid the stress of free claims.They also provide other services besides fire damage restoration services such as mold remediation, storm damage restoration, cleaning services and building services. They also provide residential and commercial services.

2. Always Preferred Restoration and Janitorial: One of the best fire damage restoration services companies in Missoula, MT is Always Preferred Restoration and Janitorial. This company was established in 1999 and since then, it has been providing the Missoula area with carpet cleaning and restoration services. They have enough experience and most of their services are affordable. They also respond fast to any kind of emergencies whether it is water damage, fire damage or smoke and they start working immediately to save most of your properties.

They also provide bio hazards clean up services. This is a very urgent and dangerous situation that needs experienced and well-trained staff to handle. They are able to determine how dangerous the situation is and make a proper plan to eliminate the danger.

3. 911 Restoration of Missoula:When you call for help from this company, they will come to your place ready with their highly-trained staff, their vacuums and their caustic solutions. They are able to eliminate any signs of fire that happened inside your home.

It is highly recommended and everyone who worked with them is satisfied with the results of their work.Give them a call and ask about the price of their services. They are affordable so you don’t have to worry about calling them without having primary idea about their prices.